Jabberwocky : the complexities of mathematical English

Mathematical English is a unique language based on ordinary English, with the addition of highly stylised formal symbol systems. Some words have a redefined status. Mathematical English has its own lexicon, syntax, semantics and literature. It is more difficult to understand than ordinary English. Ability in basic interpersonal communication does not necessarily result in proficiency in the use of mathematical English. The complex nature of mathematical English may impact upon the ability of students to succeed in mathematical and numeracy assessment. This article presents a review of the literature about the complexities of mathematical English. It includes examples of more than fifty language features that have been shown to add to the challenge of interpreting mathematical texts. Awareness of the complexities of mathematical English is an essential skill needed by mathematics teachers when teaching and when designing assessment tasks.

Promoting interdisciplinarity through mathematical modelling

This article presents one approach to addressing the important issue of interdisciplinarity in the primary school mathematics curriculum, namely, through realistic mathematical modelling problems. Such problems draw upon other disciplines for their contexts and data. The article initially considers the nature of modelling with complex systems and discusses how such experiences differ from existing problem-solving activities in the primary mathematics curriculum. Principles for designing interdisciplinary modelling problems are then addressed, with reference to two mathematical modelling problems— one based in the scientific domain and the other in the literary domain. Examples of the models children have created in solving these problems follow. A reflection on the differences in the diversity and sophistication of these models raises issues regarding the design of interdisciplinary modelling problems. The article concludes with suggested opportunities for generating multidisciplinary projects within the regular mathematics curriculum.

Mathematical modelling in the early school years

In this article we explore young children's development of mathematical knowledge and reasoning processes as they worked two modelling problems (the Butter Beans Problem and the Airplane Problem). The problems involve authentic situations that need to be interpreted and described in mathematical ways. Both problems include tables of data, together with background information containing specific criteria to be considered in the solution process. Four classes of third-graders (8 years of age) and their teachers participated in the 6-month program, which included preparatory modelling activities along with professional development for the teachers. In discussing our findings we address: (a) Ways in which the children applied their informal, personal knowledge to the problems; (b) How the children interpreted the tables of data, including difficulties they experienced; (c) How the children operated on the data, including aggregating and comparing data, and looking for trends and patterns; (c) How the children developed important mathematical ideas; and (d) Ways in which the children represented their mathematical understandings.

The African Institute for Mathematical Sciences

Its mission is to promote Mathematics and Science in Africa and to provide a focal point for Mathematics university training in Africa. It offers scholarships for up to 50 students to come and study for a period of nine months. Of the 50 students, about 15 positions are reserved for females. In the 2006/2007 intake there were over 250 applicants. The students are housed and fed and their return travel from their home town is fully funded. Lecturers also stay at AIMS and share their meals with the students, so that a rapport quickly develops. The students are away from their families and friends for nine months and are absolutely committed to the discipline of Mathematics. When they first arrive, some of them have little ability in English but since all tuition is in English they quickly learn. Some find the transitions difficult but they all support one another and at the end of their time their English skills are very good. The students do a series of subjects that last for about three weeks each, consisting of 30 contact hours, as well as a thesis/project. Each course has a number of assignments associated with it and these get evaluated. AIMS has seven or eight teaching assistants who help with the tutorials, marking, advice, and who are a vital component of AIMS.

Building Beyond Limits : Fantastic Collisions Between Bodies and Machines in French and English Fin-de-Siècle Literature

«Construire hors limite: collisions fantastiques entre corps et machines dans la littérature fin-de-siècle française et anglaise» explore un ensemble de textes qui ont surgi à la fin du dix-neuvième siècle en réponse et en réaction à la fulgurante évolution de l’environnement scientifique et technologique, et qui considèrent la relation entre l’homme et la machine en fantasmant sur la zone grise où ils s’intersectent. Les principaux textes étudiés comprennent L’Ève future de Villiers de l’Isle-Adam, Le Surmâle d’Alfred Jarry, Trilby de George Du Maurier, Le Château des Carpathes de Jules Verne, ainsi qu’une sélection de contes dont nous pouvons qualifier de «contes à appareils», notamment «La Machine à parler» de Marcel Schwob. Utilisant la théorie des systèmes comme base méthodologique, cette dissertation cherche à réinterpréter les textes de la fin du dix-neuvième siècle qui naviguent les limites de l’humain et du mécanique et les surfaces sensibles où ils se touchent et interagissent en les réinscrivant dans un projet plus vaste de construction d’identité qui défie le temps chronologique et les échelles mathématiques. Le lien entre la théorie des systèmes et l’architecture – comme méthode d’organisation d’espace blanc en espace habitable – est exploré dans le but de comprendre la manière dont nous façonnons et interprétons le néant à l’origine de l’identité individuelle, et par association collective, en pratiquant littéralement la schématisation et la construction du corps. Des auteurs tels Villiers et Jarry imaginent la construction du corps comme une entreprise scientifique nécessairement fondée et réalisée avec les matériaux et les technologies disponibles, pour ensuite démanteler cette proposition en condamnant le corps technologique à la destruction. La construction d’une identité amplifiée par la technologie prend donc des proportions prométhéennes perpétuellement redessinées dans des actes cycliques de rasage (destruction) et d’érection (édification), et reflétées dans l’écriture palimpsestique du texte. L’intégrité du corps organique étant mis en question, le noyau même de ce que signifie l’être (dans son sens de verbe infinitif) humain pourrait bien s’avérer, si l’on considère la correspondance entre perte de voix et état pathologique dans les textes de Du Maurier, Verne et Schwob, être une structure des plus précaires, distinctement hors sens (unsound).

Mathematical and electrical analysis of pulsed tones

This paper discusses a study conducted to perform a mathematical analysis and an electrical analysis of pulsed tones to determine which type of pulsed tone is most suitable.

Recommendations for a mathematical curriculum to be used in conjunction with an oral deaf education program

Students who are deaf or hard of hearing have typically had difficulty in mathematics; however, this problem often is overlooked because of difficulties in language and reading abilities. This study aims to identify the most appropriate mathematics curriculum for deaf or hard of hearing students in an oral deaf education program.